A Journey of Displacement and Unforgettable Memories of War

Ruba Iyad Darwish Al-Kashef, Fourth Year, Physical Therapy Major, Al-Azhar University, Gaza

Traveling from Gaza to Egypt does not offer salvation, nor does it erase the scars of war from the bodies and minds of those who lived through its devastating details. The war consumed everything, leaving death in its wake—some lost their lives as martyrs, while others continued to live, yet died in spirit.

When asked about her worst experiences during the war, Ruba Iyad Darwish Al-Kashef replied, “In my head and phone, there's a studio of nightmare images: depression, vanished people, erased places, heart-wrenching memories, restaurants, the sea, streets, the neighborhood, home, the land, displacement, firewood, hand-washed laundry, Khan Younis market, Al-Nuseirat, clashes, bulldozing, shells, displacement, barracks, drowning, drones, fear, pain, shock—pictures that will never leave our memories as long as we live.”

She considers herself fortunate that her family was displaced only twice: "The first time from our home in Al-Katiba neighborhood in Khan Younis to my aunt’s house in Al-Shabora camp in Rafah.

Talking about the life of displacement is like bleeding, swallowing tears while lumps climb the throat, choking it: “Imagine the details of the lives of five families, 35 people in total, in a 90-square-meter apartment, with two rooms, a living room, and one bathroom. It’s a life akin to prison cells amid fear, terror, and certain death. Eventually, we had no choice but to flee again, this time to Egypt, escaping the war’s tragedies until God permits us to return to our beloved Gaza."

Ruba continues, “In Gaza, you experience all kinds of death. You might die from bombings, under rubble, or by chance while standing or sleeping—it makes no difference! You could die from hunger, contaminated water, spoiled food, or from sorrow and fear. In any case, you will at least taste temporary oppression.”

She sighs deeply, recalling not-so-distant memories: “I was registered as a fourth-year Physical Therapy student at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, where my father works as a lecturer in the health professions programs. I was driven by a great passion to complete my studies, following in my father’s footsteps, before the war unleashed its destruction. The war that pounded the Strip into the ground, leaving nothing unchanged, turned our lives into nothing but shattered remnants. It destroyed all higher education institutions in Gaza and inflicted massive damage on the infrastructure, making the prospect of continuing my university education nearly impossible in the near future."

"We were forced to flee our childhood home, filled with memories, which was destroyed by occupation planes in Khan Younis, to Rafah, where we stayed at my aunt’s house for a while, and spent a long period in refugee camps. Finally, we had the opportunity to leave for Egypt. The transition was never easy, nor was starting a new life in a new place. Amid my crisis, a glimmer of hope appeared when I saw the announcement of An-Najah University’s ‘Hand in Hand’ initiative. I quickly joined as a visiting student for the summer semester of the 2023/2024 academic year, enrolling in some theoretical courses that I was supposed to complete in the first semester of the same academic year at my devastated university, but the war circumstances prevented that."

Ruba sends a heartfelt appeal on behalf of all Gaza students and its people: “In my name and on behalf of all students in Gaza’s higher education institutions, I appeal to all living consciences and academic institutions worldwide to stand by us and work on integrating us as visiting students in academic institutions to continue our educational journey.”

“We will need an additional lifetime to forget these days we spent in a time that doesn’t resemble us. We will need bigger hearts to accommodate all this harm... We will need many prayers and meditations to forget everything we went through. None of us are okay. We left and never returned.”